1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a computer input device for generating smooth electronic ink. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an input device may be used on divergent platforms, while providing a common user interface.
2. Related Art
Computing systems have dramatically changed the way in which we live. The first wave of computers was prohibitively expensive, and was only cost effective for use in business settings. As computers became more affordable, the use of personal computers both in the workplace and at home have become so widespread that computers have become as common as desks in the office and kitchen tables in the home. Microprocessors have been incorporated in all aspects of our daily lives, from use in television and other entertainment systems to devices for regulating the operation of our automobile.
The evolution of computing devices, from data crunching devices that occupied entire floors of large office facilities, to laptop computers or other portable computing devices, has dramatically impacted the manner in which documents are generated and information stored. Such portable computing have enabled individuals to type letters, draft memorandum, take notes, create images, and perform numerous tasks in places other than the office using these computing devices. Professionals and nonprofessionals alike are empowered to take perform tasks while on the move using devices that fulfill their computing needs in any location.
Typical computer systems, especially computer systems using graphical user interface (GUI) systems, such as Microsoft Windows, are optimized for accepting user input from one or more discrete input devices such as a keyboard (for entering text), and a pointing device (such as a mouse) with one or more buttons for activating user selections.
One of the original goals of the computing world was to have a computer on every desk. To a large extent, this goal has been realized by the personal computer becoming ubiquitous in the office workspace. With the advent of notebook computers and high-capacity personal data assistants, the office workspace has been expanded to include a variety of non-traditional venues in which work is accomplished. To an increasing degree, computer users must become masters of the divergent user interfaces for each of their computing devices. From a mouse and keyboard interface for the standard personal computer to the simplified resistive stylus interface of personal data assistants and even to the minimalistic keys of a cellular telephone, a user is confronted with a variety of different user interfaces that one needs to master before he can use the underlying technology.
Despite the advances in technology, most users tend to use documents printed on paper as their primary editing tool. Some advantages of printed paper include its readability and portability. Others include the ability to share annotated paper documents and the ease at which one can archive printed paper. One user interface that is bridging the gap between advanced computing systems and the functionality of printed paper is a stylus-based user interface. One approach for the stylus-based user interface is to use resistive technology (common in today's PDAs). Another approach is to use active sensors in a notebook computer. One of the next goals of the computing world is to bring the user interface for operating the computer back to the user.
A drawback associated with the use of a stylus is that such devices are tied to the computing device containing the sensor board. In other words, the stylus may only be used to generate inputs when used in conjunction with the required sensor board. Moreover, detection of a stylus is affected by the proximity of the stylus to the sensing board.
There is a need in the art for a portable computing device that may function as an input device for any one of a variety of computing devices and which may operate in a variety of situations.